Prospectus Hit List for May 21

Hit List for May 20
Hit List for May 22Hit List updates are published Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting April 2, 2014. Data presented here is based on games through the day prior to publication.Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

23

21

23.6

23.0

23.0

.496

.516

1.7%

9.4%

11.1%

-1.9%

-17.3%

23

22

19.5

19.1

19.4

.491

.471

29.6%

16.5%

46.1%

-3.7%

-15.2%

While not effective in his start tonight, Zach Duke may be the first duke in the history of humankind to be named Zach.

3

25

20

22.8

23.5

24.6

.524

.504

30.2%

15.0%

45.3%

4.6%

-14.0%

Ryan Vogelsong broke his hand swinging at a pitch, and no YOU'RE wincing.

4

20

21

21.9

19.1

19.2

.484

.504

3.4%

8.0%

11.4%

-1.9%

-9.2%

Whoa, George Kottaras appeared in back-to-back games. Wonder if he gets hazard pay for that.

5

18

25

17.3

19.9

19.9

.505

.485

16.6%

12.3%

28.9%

2.7%

-6.7%

Don Mattingly could save his job if he just lets Clayton Kershaw pitch a complete game win every time.

6

23

19

25.7

28.4

27.5

.599

.618

63.9%

18.6%

82.5%

-0.8%

-6.3%

Omar Infante is the game's best 9-hitter. If that were an award, it'd be a gift certificate for a free gas station soda.

7

17

26

18.2

19.2

20.5

.457

.437

0.5%

2.5%

3.0%

-0.4%

-5.5%

John Axford pitched a clean seventh inning, and hasn't allowed a run in 6 1/3 career seventh innings. Everybody needs a good setup-to-the-setup man.

8

20

25

20.0

22.6

23.0

.476

.496

1.8%

3.8%

5.6%

-0.3%

-3.6%

It takes a specific talent to score in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings and still lose.

9

17

27

18.2

19.8

19.3

.486

.506

3.7%

9.1%

12.8%

0.5%

-3.3%

As we all predicted, the best outfielder they acquired this offseason was J.B. Shuck.

10

18

25

21.2

22.7

22.8

.491

.471

1.0%

4.8%

5.9%

-0.4%

-2.4%

If Wrigley Field ever start putting advertisements on the outfield ivy, it will be to promote Alfonso Soriano trade rumors.

11

21

24

18.2

18.3

18.4

.448

.428

4.1%

3.7%

7.8%

-1.8%

-2.2%

Cole Hamels has lost more games to the Marlins than any other team, which is why he never wants to go to Sea World.

12

18

23

19.0

17.3

18.2

.422

.442

0.1%

0.3%

0.5%

-0.1%

-1.9%

For those who read the Hit List in the morning with their children, please ask them to leave the room for this next one: their combined first inning ERA is 9.22. You can explain it to them when they're older.

13

17

25

18.0

17.4

17.0

.450

.430

2.3%

2.0%

4.3%

-1.3%

-1.3%

LaTroy Hawkins was ejected yesterday, presumably for not properly informing us he was still in the majors.

14

13

32

14.1

12.2

12.0

.345

.327

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

Chad Qualls is now finishing games for them, apparently, in case you need another reason to attend a Marlins game.

15

13

32

14.3

12.3

14.1

.342

.360

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Not only did they win, but we're one step closer to knowing how to pronounce Dallas Keuchel.

16

18

26

17.7

16.4

17.8

.450

.469

0.6%

2.6%

3.2%

0.4%

0.4%

Given a four-run lead in the ninth, Casey Janssen allowed two runs and walked the potentially game-tying baserunner. He is terrible at blowing games.

17

23

21

23.1

24.1

25.2

.536

.556

11.4%

25.5%

36.9%

-5.4%

1.1%

Evan Longoria has reached base in 43 of the Rays' 44 games this year, which makes you wonder if some games he just runs to first base from the dugout and nobody notices.

18

28

16

27.4

25.4

25.2

.561

.541

38.2%

35.0%

73.3%

-3.5%

1.6%

They've lost five straight games at Petco Park. It could either be a fear of animals or agoraphobia.

19

21

23

20.9

20.7

20.9

.472

.452

2.7%

3.1%

5.8%

0.3%

1.9%

Jason Marquis is the National League's fourth person to reach six wins. It's not an entirely impressive honor, but then again neither was being a marquis back in the day.

20

28

16

25.0

23.1

22.9

.564

.584

62.1%

23.4%

85.5%

3.4%

2.0%

Travis Hafner stole a base yesterday, his second of the season, 11th of his career and third against the Orioles.

21

24

21

25.4

26.2

26.2

.514

.494

8.5%

9.9%

18.5%

-5.0%

2.3%

They're starting to cool down just as the weather is warming up! In a related story, I don't understand climatology.

22

24

22

24.0

24.0

23.4

.515

.535

10.5%

18.3%

28.8%

5.6%

3.2%

Yoenis Cespedes, who had 2 walks in 68 plate appearances this month, walked three times last night.

23

20

23

20.0

20.4

20.0

.470

.490

2.8%

5.3%

8.2%

1.3%

3.3%

Adam Dunn now has 11 home runs and 13 non-home run hits, or "weird batty balls," as he likes to call them, probably.

24

29

16

27.6

28.0

27.4

.587

.606

84.0%

6.8%

90.8%

-1.8%

3.7%

Does anyone else look like they play baseball with more disdain than Adrian Beltre? Other than the famed imaginary 1910s ballplayer Snarly McCotton.

25

27

18

27.9

27.5

26.2

.579

.560

48.0%

31.7%

79.7%

1.7%

5.0%

Jay Bruce has a hit or an RBI in every game this month.

26

26

18

26.3

26.4

25.7

.556

.536

64.0%

14.5%

78.4%

1.5%

8.3%

They're going to feel the loss of bullpen arm Eric O'Flaherty, who underwent Tommy John surgery and will miss the rest of the o'season.

27

26

18

24.2

24.0

23.8

.528

.508

12.2%

29.3%

41.6%

-0.7%

8.8%

Jeff Locke is leading the rotation, but here's hoping they can lure Jimmy Key out of retirement.

28

27

18

26.2

27.1

26.3

.561

.581

24.2%

40.6%

64.7%

-2.2%

12.3%

Take away that weird 0-for-17 slump, and David Ortiz is hitting over .400. Now take away a bunch of other poor at bats, and he's hitting almost .700. Hey, math is fun!

29

26

17

25.3

25.6

25.1

.548

.567

29.8%

28.3%

58.0%

3.2%

15.6%

They keep winning despite all odds, just like in that one movie. What was it called? Ah yes. "Cannonball Run II."

30

26

19

25.9

25.5

25.5

.548

.528

41.9%

19.6%

61.6%

5.9%

19.4%

Patrick Corbin became the third Diamondback to pitch a complete game in Colorado, joining that famous D'back pitching duo ... Armando Reynoso and Omar Daal.